Like light, Buddhism is refracted by the cultures it passes through, emerging in a rainbow of forms, yet retaining its essential nature. The same holds for Buddhist art and literature, which varies from sumi-e ink painting in Japan to the elaborately colorful images of Tibetan thanka paintings. As Buddhism continues in its slow passage through American culture, what forms will its an and literature take? The Beastie Boys have already given us Buddhist rap. Will we now see Buddhist mysteries, Buddhist space operas, potboiling Buddhist romans à clef?